Cancer in Lebanon: an epidemiological review of the American University of Beirut Medical Center Tumor Registry (1983-1994).
OBJECTIVE
Cancers recorded in the Tumor Registry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), the largest tertiary care center, in Lebanon were reviewed.


METHODS
Results were compared with those from the same center 30 years ago and current data from western Asia.


RESULTS
Between 1983 and 1994, 9364 cases were recorded, averaging 780 cases per year, representing more than one-third of the national case-load. Cases were almost equally distributed between males and females. Average age of females was significantly younger (48.7 years) than that of males (52.2 years). Among males, the five most frequently reported cancers were of the lung, bladder, larynx, lymphoma, and leukemia. Among females, the four most frequently reported cancers were of the breast, cervix uteri, lymphoma, and brain, with leukemia and corpus uteri ranking equally as fifth. Over the past 30 years, the frequency of colorectal cancer decreased and that of lung cancer increased in both sexes. Oral cancer decreased dramatically among males. Digestive system cancers in this series were less frequent than in cumulative data from western Asia area.


CONCLUSIONS
Cancer dynamics changed little since the 1950s, except regard to cancers related to smoking and diet. Diet differences may explain the lower frequencies of digestive cancers in Lebanon as compared with elsewhere in western Asia. The potential impact of cancer prevention and early detection on highly prevalent cancer types such as lung, larynx, breast, and cervix was highlighted.
Adib
S M
SM
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Mufarrij
A A
AA
Shamseddine
A I
AI
Kahwaji
S G
SG
Issa
P
P
el-Saghir
N S
NS
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects